Apparatus for mechanical and heat treatment of metal articles



Jan. 17, 1933. R C, lNGERSOLL 1,894,590

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICAL AND HEAT TREATMENT oF METAL ARTICLES Filed Aug. 2l. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet VE :E

Jair 17, 1933 R. c. INGERsoLL 1,894,590

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICAL lAND HEAT TREATMENT OF METAL ARTICLES Filed Aug. 21. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EoY c. INGEESOEL, or

Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GALESBUBG, ILLINOIS, AsSIGNoE 'ro INGEESOLL STEEL AND DISC co., A CORPORATION or ILLINoIs ArrAEATUs roEEcnANIcAL HEAT: TREATMENT or METAL ARTICLES Applica-upa med Augustfai, y1930. serial No. 476,827.

My inventionrelates to the mal'iufacture` of steel clutch discsyharrow and pl'ow discs and the like. vWhen-'such articles are initially shaped and quenched, they arevery brittle, and, when subse uently annealedto make -themtough enoug for use, theyv are susceptible to deformation during-theheat-treating or annealing process.

' It is anfimportant object of my invention to provide a process for heat-treating clutch discs, harrow" discsjand the' liketo'render such @discs suited for'hard and rough handling ,such thin metal articles as clutch discs andthe like to render them capable of meeting hard "service conditions without 'injury and' to insure a` uniform product'with a minimum -of ',spoilage during manufacture. Y

It 1s va further important object of my invention to provide apparatus ,whereby the above-mentioned process may be carried out.

In the drawings: f

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation, with parts broken away, of a hydraulic press embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a ront'view in elevation of a part of the press' shown in Figure 1, with parts broken away, and also showing details of control mechanism for the press.

Figure 3 is a sectional View through a part of Figure 2, showing the details of a valve for controlling the ilow of fluid to the press.

As shown in the drawings:

vThe numeral indicates generally a hydraulic press, which comprises, in common with presses of a similar character, a bed block 11 and a head block 11a tied together by tension rods 12.

Guide rods 13 extend between the head block and the -bed block, and, slid'ably mounted on the guide rods are pairs of platens or ldie-receiving members 14. A fluid-pressed piston,16,`suitably positioned in a cylinder 17 and arranged vfor connection to a fluid pressure system through a conduit 18, pushes the platens letv upwardly.

For convenience in readin the drawings, the platens have been given t e letters A, B

vC, D, E and F to indicate the members of each pair and the order in which they rise.

The platens 14 are limited in their downwardtraved by means of rods 19 which Suitably engage lugs 20 on thel platens 14 slidable on the rods. y

Complementary dies 21 and'22 are shown mounted on the platens C and D to receive a dished harrow disc, and a' pair of complementary dies 23 and 24 are sho-wn mounted on the platens A and B to receive a fiat clutch plate. f The platens E and F are shown inth open position, ready'for loading.

Steel lclutch plates, harrow discs, or the like, are initially formed and quenched in any suitable manner. After quenching, they are usually so brittle that, should one fall on the ioor, it will break as though made of thin glass. Such articles are usually an-` nealedjto render them itffor service, and,

during lthe annealing process, they are Susceptible of being readily deformed, so'that the percentage of rejected plates because of deformation during previously known processes of treatment adapted to quantity production has been high. Y

In the practice of my invention, I place the steel plate, immediately' after it has been quenched in an oil bath, in the dies of the hydraulic press. The platens 14 contain electrical heatingl units 25 suitably placed therein and connectedto power Supply lines through conductors 26, so that the temperature of the clutch plate, or similar article, may be raised to, and maintained at, the desired annealing temperature. The platen and the article housed therein are subjected to a moderate pressure' for a certain length of time, during which thevtemperature of the article is being raised, and then subjected to a high pressure for a further period. The temperature of the dies isi maintained at some predetermined value through the cooperation of a thermocouple 27 placed in one die or in both of the dies of each set with a conventional type of current regulator, indicated by the numeral 29, and to which it is connected by conductors 28. The regulator controls the iiow of current from power sup-4v ply lines 30 to the heater supply wires 26,.in

the treatment sure of around l() llos'. per square inch forabout a minute and a halfand thensupp'ly a Pressure of about. 1,509.1bsper. square inch.

for three minutes, While the annealing temperature is maintained. rllhis annealing .tem-

perature may vary between-400 and 135()` de# '.grees depending upon the. temper desired in the finished product. Employing the means described later for, automatically. operating the, press, a fresh batch of plates :is loaded every six minutes, this periodl including the loading time. Y Clutch plates and harrovv :discs -thatiare vexceedingly 'brittle'l when initially. quenched are tough and ready fors'evere service after in the -press and subsequent Cooling.. y

It i s obvious; that-the annealing temperature and the duration ofthe` mechanical treatment and heat treatment may be-'varied to give the` results as the composition of the article .tohe treated is .varied-.:

I have found that, when employing my method of mechanical treatment. and; heat treatment, the hydraulicpress may beJ ad- Vantageously arranged .to automatically apply pressure in. Steps anditorelease .thepressureforthe unloading. and loading ofthe platens.

In Figures 2 and 3,- I. have shown. means for obtaining automa-ticA operatiomof.; thehydraulic press. A ca` in47 is suitably driven toymake one. revolution in, say, six. minutes. A valveoperatingpivoted lever. 48 .having an end riding on the face of, the cam L17e-is suitably connected to a. valve spindle49. A Weight on a, pivotedlever 31. connected -to lever 48, hy a lost motion connection 32 is arranged. to returnl the valve spindle 49;to its initial or upper position.

A valve housing 33 'contains a cylindrical valve 34 slidable therein. The housing 33 is ported at, 35 for connection to a high pressure system, at 36 for connection to a lou7 pressure system, at 37 for connection to the conduit 18 leading to the piston cylinder, 17, and at 38 to .exhaust the fluid to a. storage tank not shown.

rlhe valve 34 is ported at 39 so that, at. a certain position ofthe valve, theport 39 will register with the port 36 to admit fluid at lou7 pressure into the valve and thence .hy- Way of a. slot 40 in the valve to the port37.

When thevalve 3 4 is in the positionshown in Figure. 3, it vvillhe evident that-it isin the pressure-releasing or exhaust position and that the fluid may flow from the cylinder 17 through the conduit 18, through the port 37, through the slot 40, and through a port 41 in the valve to emerge through the exhaust port 38.

It will alsobe evident that, as the spindle Slis moved downwardly', the valvelxvill consecutively apply lovs1 pressure and then apply high pressure; and that, on the upward vstroke, it`Wi1l consecutively fcut "o the'high pressu`re, reduce the pressure to that of the loyv pressure system, finally exlheust the fluid Ato the storage system. As the'cam 27 revolves, it provides` for a certain period of rest-no movement of the valve spindle in theexhaust position-.sothatthe .platens 14 may be'unloadedand loaded.- i

'It is obvious that. the-cam. Surfaccsmay 'be arranged to obtain any desired periodo@ rest and-.any desiredperodoflcw ndhigh pres-f sure and stepsin applying thepressnre v vth- Out dei)@utf-inf.:.frfunV the Spirit ot my invention. .nm I. amaware that man-.v changesmay be made and. numerous. details. .otconStnuQtcn-may-be:. .varledf through 'a Wide. rangawithout damityiilgfrcmu the principles of; .this invention, and

I, therefore, do not purpose limitingthepatent granted `h ereon otherwise than. .neoessi tated, by: the priorart.

1. Thev process of annealing l-prefcpifmed and, hardened. articles, s uch as steel harnow discs, which includes the steps ofE gradually raising the temperature of,` thejarticle While;`

it, is subjectedfto a certain pressure .and held @Mined-t0 prevent dformation, andi ythan -articles, andmeans arranged-to automatically control, said pressure-applying means so ,that a certain pressureis maintained during a predeterminedperiod-of;time, followed by acertainmaterially higher pressurefor a., predetermined-periodof time.

3.. Alifapparatus for. simultaneously annealing' and mechanically treating.- preformed andv hardened articles, comprising means .forsupporting said articles thereon .and confining them. against deformation, .means for heating said articles, pressure-applying means. including a pistony arranged to press said means to said articles, andmeans arranged, to control. said pressure-applying means, said last-named control-means including avalvecasing having ports for. .communifaen. with Sad Pisten and with alswprassure Huid system and a high pressure fluid system, and a valve operable in said casing arranged to selectively connect said piston in fluid communication with said low and high lpressure systems. n

4. n apparatus for mechanically treating pre-formed and hardened articles, comprising means for supporting said articles thereon and confining them against deformation, pressure-applying means including a piston Varranged to press said means to said articles,

and means arranged to control said piston, said control means including a valve casing having ports for communication with a cylinder which receives said piston and with a low pressure fluid system and a high pressure uid system, and a Valve operable in said cas-v ing arranged to selectively connect said piston cylinder in fluid communication with said therewith, means for automatically maintaining said dies at a constant temperature and means whereby the pressure exerted by said press is automatically increased.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subi' scribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Iliinois. l

ROY c. INcfEiasoLLa and hardened metal articles, comprising die means to confine said articles, electrical heating means to heat said dies, means in said dies in operative association with said electrical heating means to maintain a predetermined temperature of the dies, and means for applying pressure to Vpress dieson the articles while they are heated and means for materially increasing saidpressure.

7 Apparatus Vfor simultaneously annealing and mechanically treating preformed metal articles which comprises a hydraulic press, dies to cooperate therewith, means for heating said dies and means whereby the pressure exerted by said press is automatical- .k ly increased.

8. Apparatus for simultaneously annealing and mechanically treating preformed metal articles which comprises a hydraulic press, dies to cooperate therewith, means for automatically maintaining said dies at a constant temperature and means whereby the pressure exerted by said press is automatically increased.

9. Apparatus for simultaneously annealing and mechanically treating preformed metal articles which comprises a hydraulic* press, electrically heated dies to cooperate therewith, and means ywhereloy the pressure, exerted by said press is automatically-increased. a

' V10. Apparatus for simultaneouslyannealing and mechanically treating preformed f `metal articles which comprises a hydraulic press, electrically heated dies to cooperate 

